Date: July 18, 2008

Statement from DHHS Dempsey Benton

RALEIGH – The Governor and the Department of Health and Human Services called on the General Assembly for changes in the laws that would give the Department authority to address service problems in a timely way for inefficiently operating Local Management Entities (LME). It is disappointing that we did not get the changes requested by the Governor and the Department. If problems emerge in those areas for which we requested the ability to have a timely service impact, it will be through a lack of the legislative and administrative tools we sought from the General Assembly.